SEC and Mississippi State release 2012 football schedules

Matt Stevens

December 29, 2011 1:22:00 AM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeastern Conference representatives released the finished product of the 14-team game football schedule Wednesday months after the addition of Texas A&M University and the University of Missouri to the conference.

The announcement allowed Mississippi State University fans a first opportunity to see a schedule that doesn't see multiple Southeastern Conference opponents in the first four weeks of the season for only the third time since 2000.

I'll have a feature on the front page of Thursday's edition of The Dispatch discussing the details of the process and the possible pros and cons of Mississippi State's 2012 schedule. *Please plop down a few quarters for a copy if for no other reason than it'll make my bosses happy*

Here's a sneak peek of what MSU coach Dan Mullen had to say about the schedule:

"You look at a lot of schools around the country and they don't have to start out with top teams," Mullen said. "Two of our first three were against the defending national champion (Auburn) and I guess a school that could be a national champion this year (LSU). It gives you the opportunity to get to nonconference games before you get to the meat of your schedule."

Here's what MSU's schedule will look like in 2012:

Sept. 1 - Jackson State

Sept. 8. - Auburn

Sept. 15 - at Troy

Sept. 22 - South Alabama

Sept. 29 - OPEN DATE

Oct. 6 - at Kentucky

Oct. 13 - Tennessee

Oct. 20 - Middle Tennessee State

Oct. 27 - at Alabama

Nov. 3 - Texas A&M

Nov. 10 - at LSU

Nov. 17 - Arkansas

Nov. 24 - at Ole Miss

SEC officials confirmed Wednesday 2012 schedule is not based on any other previous or future scheduling formats prior to the addition of the two new schools and league consultant Larry Templeton told The Dispatch the school's athletics directors will convene during the 2012 spring meetings to begin formulating scheduling principles for slates beyond this one-year trial period.

Templeton, who was Director of Athletics at MSU from 1987-2008, was a key member of the SEC's transition team that is continuing to work on schedules for the other sports starting with 14 school members also.

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